
All eyes are on legendary forward Lionel Messi, whose contract with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) expires next month, with clubs from Premier League now reportedly circling the Argentine. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner's contract at Parc des Princes on June 30 and negotiations for an extension have not yet begun.
Messi is expected to decide over his club career in the next few days as speculation about his future, including a potential romantic return to Barcelona, continues to rage. The PSG star has also reportedly been offered a whopping 1.2 billion euro deal with Saudi outfit Al-Hilal and MLS team Inter Miami too has expressed interest in signing the legend. Amidst links with these clubs, reports have now suggested that a number of Premier League clubs have emerged as potential destination for the 36-year-old legend.
Messi's return to Barca is dependent on the club's precarious financial stat. Even with Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets gone, the Argentine's extravagant salary might be too much for La Liga's stringent rules. While the interested parties are nameless, the Premier League has many more affluent clubs and considerably less restrictive restrictions. Some reports claimed Manchester City, Newcastle United, Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, etc. could be some of the EPL clubs vying for the PSG star this summer.
In addition, the French publication Foot Mercato asserted that Messi's father and agent Jorge had accepted a record-breaking offer from the Saudi team Al-Hilal. The claimed sum would be startling at €1.2 billion (£1.1 billion/$1.3 billion) over two years, more than twice Cristiano Ronaldo's pay at Al-Nassr. While Messi's ideal option would be a return to Barcelona, their financial fragility is making the possibility of a move to the Gulf state more and more tempting, according to Foot Mercato.
Meanwhile, Messi fans have started discussing about whether the PSG star should consider a move to England. "Messi wouldn’t start for any top 6 side. Maybe he’ll get some minutes from the bench at a Brentford or Brighton but that’s it," said one fan on Twitter, while another added, "I want him in the premier league."
Here's a look at some of the reactions on Twitter:
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